Colorado Highlights

Tobacco use remains the leading cause of preventable death and disease in the United States and in Colorado. To address this enormous toll, the American Lung Association calls for the following actions to be taken by Colorado's elected officials:

The American Lung Association in Colorado supports evidence-based policy interventions to reduce tobacco use rates and prevent youth initiation. Together with our partners, the Lung Association works to ensure tobacco control and prevention remains a priority for state legislators and local decisionmakers.

The Lung Association continued to educate elected officials and the general public about the negative public health impacts of tobacco use in Colorado in 2023, and the ongoing importance of providing adequately funded tobacco prevention and cessation programs. We also remain engaged with the Colorado Attorney General’s office as it decides how to disperse $31.7 million in settlement funds resulting from the state’s lawsuit against Juul Labs. The Lung Association advocates that settlement funds be directed to evidence-based prevention programs.

The legislature placed a measure on the November 2023 ballot (Proposition II) to maintain tobacco taxes at levels that voters approved in 2020 under Proposition EE. The Lung Association endorsed Proposition II, as we did with Proposition EE. Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) required voter approval on Proposition II to avoid a $23.65 million refund to tobacco wholesalers and reduced tobacco taxes, which would have led to fewer resources directed to tobacco prevention programs. Voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition II 67.5% to 32.5%.

Several localities had success in enacting stronger tobacco control policies in 2023:

• Pitkin County: Tobacco retail licensure and a prohibition of future tobacco retailers;

• Golden: Ending the sale of all flavored tobacco products as well as repealing penalties for underage purchase, use and possession of tobacco products;

• Larimer County: Repealing penalties for underage purchase, use and possession of tobacco products;

• Silverton: Updated tobacco retail licensing fees and required two annual compliance checks from local health department; and

• Denver: Updated penalties for tobacco retailers to include suspension and revocation of licenses.

The Lung Association will continue to advocate for Colorado policymakers to exercise their authority at both the state and local levels to enact policies that reduce the burden of tobacco in our state.